Clients often tell me they are struggling with overeating. This can normally be explained by looking at patterns of emotional eating. They might eat when things are tough, when they are stressed or anxious, when they are bored, when they are sad, or even when things are great, it’s easy to go into what I call ‘celebration mode’. It can be triggered by a range of emotions based on individual circumstances. There is no one-size fits all explanation. The good news this behaviour can be dramatically improved using a combination of self-development techniques, you just need to know where to start.
The first thing that you can do is be really honest with yourself. Ask yourself ‘Am I an emotional eater?’ Many of us are, it’s something we have closely correlated with feelings of satisfaction, love, comfort, happy memories, joy and connection. Everyone is different, but if you are an emotional eater then you get some kind of ‘reward’ when you eat in this way. (Even if this does not feel good afterwards – it’s strange I know!), the brain works in mysterious ways, basically, it is trying to keep you comfortable and safe at all times. It’s like your best friend and your worst enemy all at once. You need to figure out what makes you tick, then you take the action needed. This is the secret.
The next thing to do is to keep a record over 7-days of when you are eating. Before you eat ask yourself: Are you genuinely hungry? Are you bored? Is it because it’s a certain time of day? Is it because you are stressed? The key here is to identify your patterns of behaviour and get to know yourself a little better. Most people find this exercise surprising as it can reveal things they are not consciously aware of. Most of our behaviour is driven by the subconscious part of the mind, so you need to actively shine a light on your actions and behaviours to help yourself out of these negative patterns.
The next thing to do once you are clearer on the reasons WHY you are eating in this way is to add in other options. Make a plan to help yourself out. It means being prepared when familiar patterns crop up. It might look like this… “when I am sad I reach for the chocolate” this changes to “when I am sad I get into my best PJs, I give myself a 5-10 min skincare routine, I make a tea and bring a blanket into the couch so I can feel warm and cosy.” It’s just about having the right things ready for when you might need them. Trials are needed here, what are the things you could do? Then see which works best, I find a combination like the example above works best. It’s essentially designing a self-care ritual that you spring into action when you need it. The key difference is you’ve been here before, you know what to do, you have an alternative, and you’re ready. When you are stressed the brain can shut down the functions of the cortex, which means that you are not as able to make good rational decisions. Being prepared at that moment means taking the thinking out of it – you are making self-care deliberate. It’s empowering, and practically very helpful in those moments where you wobble. I hope this helps.
This is a big topic, so if you want to know more about how I can help you with this, drop me an email at hello@coachingbynic.com and I’ll get back to you. Love Nic x
